The RIse of Bastet
by Chloe Gilmore
Summary: Cassandra O'Connell the daughter of the famous explorers Evie and Rick O'Connell may have inherited the gene for trouble making. This is the story of two women falling in love don't like don't read
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ok first Mummy fanfic hoping for some good feedback. Also back ground I've actually done research on this fic finally my history degree gets some use. The year is 1956 and Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein is the president of Egypt Evie and Rick are 66, Jonathon 68, Alex 31, Cassandra 21, and if you want sources I can put them in mla apa and chicago just let me know. Though I did use wikipedia a lot.

Disclaimer: Mummy not mine though if it was I would not change a thing. any character's that did not exist in real life or from Mummy cannon are mine though.

Chapter One: The Release of Bastet

Cassandra O'Connell sleepily took in her surroundings from her perch where she was sprawled across the lap of the goddess Bastet, who was regally sitting upon a throne. It was not the actual goddess of course, but a likeness of her. She and her family found a tomb hidden beneath the temple ruins of Bubastis. It had been an accident the O'Connell's had been asked to explore the ruins and two days into their relatively tame adventure Alex, Cassandra's brother, fell through the ground. After making sure her son was fine Evelyn O'Connell excitedly lowered herself through the hole Cassandra's brother had made. Her father, uncle, and brother decided to stay above ground; while Evelyn dragged her youngest into the pit after her.

Cassandra observed her mother for a moment. Evelyn and Rick O'Connell had aged well. Since her and her father still went out regularly to excavations and digs both of them were in great shape. Both of them had lines on their face to show a life that had been filled with love and happiness. Though the white hair interspersed on both of her parent's head was probably due to them having to save the world a time or two, plus she and Alex didn't help. The two had gotten into a lot of trouble in Cassandra's short twenty-one-one years of life.

Speaking of trouble; it was the reason Cassandra was in the lap of a likeness of the cat goddess. Not that it's totally her fault that the love of her life left her to get married, to a man. Not her fault she's queer, and her parents will probably toss her in the nearest loony bin if the truth ever got out. Not her fault that her Uncle Jon was the only one who knew because she drunkenly blubbered out the story while she tried to drink his pub dry. Then she got in a bar brawl; which led to her mother declaring they needed to take a family vacation to Egypt. Ok, so the last bit may have been her fault a little.

"Cassandra do get off the lap of the Egyptian goddess of protection, I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate it." Evelyn O'Connell said smirking at her daughter as she continued to dust off the giant pedestals where equally large cats rested in slumber.

"Oh come on Mum this is probably the most interaction the old girl has gotten in over three thousand years. Plus she's really warm." The youngest O'Connell said throwing a cheeky grin at her mother. Then she took off her hat, and placed it over her freckled face, and fanning out her long red hair over the arm of the statue, and throne. Her mother just lets out an indignant huff and straightened up. "You've been hanging around your Uncle Jonathan too much." Cassandra merely shrugged and scooted further into the statue's lap. The statue was simply a woman. Instead of the head of a cat, it was a very feminine face with high cheek bones and full lips. She had a golden breastplate the shape of a lioness. The lady herself had to have been made of obsidian, or some other black stone.

"She's warm?" Her mother asked. She straightened up ignoring the creaks in her joints, and slowly walked over to the statue, and placed a slightly trembling hand against the leg of the statue, and Evelyn was immediately caught off guard by the fact that the stone statue was indeed warm. Her mind began to race; this statue had not been touched by sunlight in nearly three millennia if she had to guess, and her twenty-one-year-old daughter had never fought the forces of darkness that rested beneath the sands of Egypt, and Evie really didn't want her too. "Cassandra please get out of the chair." Her voice was calm not wanting to frighten the girl. The girl sat up removing her hat from her face and looked at her mother for a moment then back at the stone woman when she noticed it.

"Hey, there's an inscription above her head." Cassandra got down to appease her mother and to see the inscription at a slightly better angle. Evie glanced above her head, and only saw ruins where an inscription used to be, and looked at her youngest worriedly. "Cassie sweetie those are just scribbles even I can't make heads or tails of it."

"What are you talking about mum it says right there 'Here is the great goddess Bestet Protector of Egypt all that oppose her beware.'" Evelyn O'Connell closed her eyes and sighed heavily as the ground beneath them began to rumble and shake. The bits of stone crumbled off of the statue revealing skin as equally black as the stone. The eyes popped opened green with oval pupils, cat's eyes. The lips of the statue pulled upwards in a smile with mischief curling around the edges of her mouth. Cassandra couldn't look away from the now woman before her. She was the grandest sight that the youngest O'Connell had ever beheld. the woman was gorgeous as she stretched every bit as cat-like as the goddess is portrayed in her stories. Then she stood up and began to glide towards the two O'Connell women. Evie grabbed her daughter's hand breaking the young woman out of her stupor and pulling her at a run towards the rope to get them both out of there. "Cassie climb up NOW," Evie shouted prompting her daughter to do as she was told for once, and Evie following behind her. looking back at whatever her daughter had awoken to start to get closer. When both she and her daughter were out of the hole in the ground she yelled, "Rick blow it," Her husband started at his wife's frantic cries, and jumped up grabbing a stick of dynamite lighting a match with the leather of his holster, lighting the fuse, and throwing it down the hole effectively caving it in.

"Evie sweetie what'd ya wake up this time?" Rick O'Connell said fake calmness in his voice and a tight smile. Jonathan and Alex had stopped their card game looking at the other three people.

"I'm afraid it wasn't me this time Rick it was Cassandra."

"I wha- how mum?" Cassandra stuttered out still in shock at what just happened.

"Cassie sweetie what'd you wake up?" Her father said in the same tone.

"Bastet would be my guess," Evie replied looking at her daughter with a slight glare. Cassandra shrank into herself for a moment.

"It's not like I knew that was going to happen no harm ever came from sitting on something."

"You didn't just sit on the goddess you read the inscription that woke her," Evie said her voice taking on a stern edge, and then she softened towards her daughter, and continued, "Darling I know you've been out of sorts since Annabell moved to Paris-"

"You know nothing," Cassandra growled out at her mother, who looked taken aback at the vitriol and anger shining in her tear filled eyes that her daughter was spouting at her.

"Hey, you don't get to talk to your mother that way," Rick said his voice low in warning.

Before they could dissolve further into an argument they heard hoof beats coming across the bridge towards the entrance of the ruins. Ardeth Bay halted his horse, and there was another man with him. They both dismounted from their horses, and Ardeth swiftly walked up to both Rick and Evie smiling widely at them. The Egyptian man had a weathered face, and thick gray hair, his beard had overgrown, and he was radiating happiness. "O'Connell Evelyn, so good to see you again. This is my apprentice Abbass, Abbass these are the O'Connells." the group took in the young man. He was tall and had a square jaw and broad shoulders.

"Ardeth not that I'm not thrilled to see you, but why are you here we are miles away from Hamunaptra, and Imhotep can't even be resurrected I thought," Evie said not quite ready to admit that they may have caused the world peril once again.

"The President of Egypt would like for you to have an official liaison When I found out it was you I volunteered."

"The President of Egypt?

"Indeed he wanted to make sure everyone stayed alive, and the dead stayed buried." He said with an amused eyebrow lift and a half smirk on his face. Then he noticed the all the stiff downward glances of the O'Connell's, and just knew that he'd gotten there too late. "Who was it?" He asked sighing. 

"Bastet," Evie said looking at her daughter, who's small frame seemed to curl into herself, and she hugged herself.

"Come President Nasser has set up rooms for you all at a local inn we can regroup there," Ardeth said. Motioning for them to follow. Anxiously hoping that the goddess had Egypts best intentions.

A/N: There ya go first chapter


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the second chapter hope you like it please review

Chapter two: Meeting Bastet

-()-

The O'Connells Ardeth and Abbass rode away from Bubastis with speed. Cassandra could not help but look back at the ruins as her stomach fills with guilt, and a restless itch settled beneath her skin as she got further and further from that throne room. "Hello." A masculine voice to her right, and she looked into the eyes of Ardeth's apprentice.

"Uh hi," Cassandra said looking over at the man. He had warm dark eyes and a wide smile.

"I'm Abbass Shadid," he held out his hand, and hopefulness swam in his eyes. Cassandra paid closer attention to the man and took his warm slightly calloused hand.

"Cassandra O'Connell," she said shaking his hand and tuning back into the conversation her parents were having with Ardeth Alex, and Jonathon taking up the rear.

"Why could she read the inscription when I couldn't?" Evie asked looking at Ardeth.

"I'm not sure."

"I've researched Bastet, and in all of my findings she was one of the more peaceful gods."

"That is true she defeated the Trickster Apophis, and guided souls to Anubis."

"That's why Imhotep was afraid of cats because of her," Rick said, and everyone looked at him in astonishment, "What I listen sometimes, and after nearly forty years you think I didn't pick up something."

Evelyn reaches over and pulls her husband down into a heated kiss. He looks at her with wide shock filled eyes for a moment before melting into his wife, and pulling her closer to him, and nearly pulling her off her camel. Affection welled within her as Cassandra looked at her parent's display. She knew what love looked like because of Evelyn and Rick O'Connell; her parents were the most open and loving people Cassandra had ever come across in her young life, and her heart clenched at knowing that she was never going to get to have what her parents had. Then the nervous energy emerged again, and she glanced back again at the ruins that were now out of sight.

-()-

The sun was setting, and Cassandra was resting against the headboard staring out the window absent-mindedly when there was a knock on the door, and Jonathon strolled in. "Hello, old mum I brought some cards."

"No offense Uncle Jon, but if you don't have gin I don't really feel like playing poker."

Her uncle smiled wide, and pulled a bottle of said gin from behind his back, and sat on the edge of the bed. "Cass it's going to be ok you know your parents have a bit of experience with this sort of thing. Now let's play cards."

-()-

That night Cassandra, still drunk, and mostly asleep was startled awake by the creaking of the floorboard. She grabbed her gun from the night stand and aimed at the noise. She saw green glowing eyes in the corner of her room, and the restlessness that had crept into her bloodstream dissipated somewhat. Then the eyes moved in front of the window, and moonlight illuminated the woman, and she chuckled.

"Oh, darling are you drunk." Her voice was soft and rich and lilted with an accent of an Egyptian dialect long forgotten, and Cassandra melted into it.

"Nnnnooo," Cassandra slurred keeping her gun trained on the woman.

"What's that?" She asked cocking her head to the side.

"Sssss a gun."

"Gun, well mortals have come a long way." She was suddenly in front of Cassandra with the gun in her hand now weighing it in her palm.

"Who are you?"

"Why I'm Bastet, but you already knew that."

"Why are you h-here?" Cassandra asked looking at this woman fighting the drooping of her eyelids.

"I always come for you my darling."

"Always?" Cassandra was sinking back onto the bed, and she couldn't fight off the gin in her system, and the rich voice blanketing over the youngest O'Connell.

"Yes darling always, now please sleep." She pulled the blankets up to the girl's chin as her eyes closed, and her breathing evened out. "Good night my love." The goddess brushed her lips over her forehead and went back to her throne room to wait until morning with a wide smile on her face, contentment settling in her gut for the first time in a century.

-()-

Cassandra knew she had drunk too much judging by the marching band wreaking havoc across her cranium. groaning she sat up and rubbed her forehead, her stomach roiling. There was a knock on her door, and her brother waltzed in. holding a tray of fruit, and various meats. "Hey baby sis," he sat on the edge of the bed smiling softly and picked at the fruit.

"When are we leaving?" Cassandra asked taking a greasy piece of meat, and grateful that her stomach settled a little.

"Mum and dad left this morning hoping to get ahead of whatever this is."

"Wait they left already; why didn't they wait for me I can help, and why are you here."

"I got left behind too, what do you say we meet them there I think Uncle Jon needs a little more sleep though you must have cleaned him out last night."

"Oh yeah by at least fifteen pounds." He chuckled at his little sister and ruffled her hair for a moment.

"C'mon get dressed."

-()-

The O'Connell siblings raced across the bridge to get to Bubastis egging each other to get there first. The restless energy that buzzed beneath Cassandra's skin lessened the closer they got to the throne room.

Cassandra got there first, and immediately dismounted, and ran to the new hole in the ground that her parents must have made. She immediately grabbed the rope and began to descend into the pit. When her feet hit the ground arms wrap around her middle, and gently pulled her back. Cassandra pulled her gun and spun around, and there was the person that had been stone the previous day. The creature backed up and held up her hands in surrender.

"Hello, darling tell me what do you remember from last night?"

"What did you do something to me last night?"

"What no of course not what do you take me for?"

"I don't know what happened last night?"

"We were properly reintroduced?"

Reintroduced?"

"Of course you don't remember me at all do you?"

"Should I?"

"Darling I am Bastet, and you are the reincarnation of my lover." she said just as Alex dropped down beside her.

-()-

A/N: Lupite Nyong'o is who I see when I think of Bastet.


	3. Chapter 3: What Now

A/N: Here's the third chapter of this I hope you enjoy it please review.

Chapter Three: What Now?

-()-

"I'm your what now?", "She's your what now?" both O'Connell siblings ask at the same time, and both aiming guns at the woman that proclaimed to be a goddess. The woman just grinned, and said, "You both heard me, and oh my you are stunning this time around; not that you aren't beautiful in every lifetime."

Anxiety rippled across Cassandra's nerve endings as she became very aware of her brother's presence as Bestet reached out, and gently traced the outline of her face with her middle finger. She took a stray ginger lock and moved it behind her ear, and rested her hand against the fluttering pulse at her neck. "Darling, why are you shaking?" The goddess asked concern lacing her voice, and she watched as the young girl's eyes darted to the man in the room.

"Alex I- please you can't tell." She whispered trying to swallow her tears and keep from breaking down in front of the woman and her brother.

"Tell people what Cassie about your inclinations towards women I knew that already."

"You what?" Cassandra choked out a traitorous tear spilling down her face.

"Since the first time I saw you look at Annabell, It was the same look dad gets when he looks at mum, and I knew, Cassie it will be alright I promise old bean." Cassandra threw herself into her older brother's arms and held him tightly to her, and he did the same feeling her shake through the overwhelmed sobs. Bastet watched the touching moment, and when the siblings part Cassandra sniffled, and Alex wiped away her tears. Feeling very aware of the audience in front of him.

"Darling, are you feeling better?" The self-proclaimed goddess asked worry set on her features, at the young woman's nod she says, "That's good," then added, "Now please tell me what Nefertiri and her pet Med-jai are doing in my throne room?"

"You mean our parents?" Alex asked confused and slightly amused that anyone would dare refer to his father as a 'pet'.

"Of course she is your mother in this lifetime, and she'd with a Med-...Wait why does this sound familiar What are their names dearest?"

"Evelyn, and Richard O'Connell."

Bastet threw back her head and laughed loudly, and Cassandra couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sound, and she relaxed her hold on her gun slightly. Alex noticed the awe on his sister's face and tightened the grip he had on his gun. He was not going to let this potential mad woman harm his family.

"Calm down boy I'm not going to hurt her," Bastet said when she got control over herself once again then continued, "I wonder if Anubis planned this or if he chose at random this lifetime?" The goddess seemed to muse to herself then Cassandra asked, "Anubis is real?"

"Of course he's real my love."

"I'm not your love can you prove what you're saying?"

"Of course I can. Close your eyes darling." The supposed goddess asked and Alex looked over at his sister as she scoffed and refused,"I'm not that stupid lady."

"No, you never were darling." Bastet was smiling at her soulmate. She reached out and was thankful when the younger woman did not shrink away from her, "Hold still at least please." When she noticed the younger woman nod slightly she touched her fingertips to Cassandra's temple and watched as her brown eyes fluttered closed, and a gasp escaped her thin lips.

Flashes raced across Cassandra's brain, a black woman a few shades lighter than Bastet embracing the goddess in a tight hug, kissing feverishly against a wall in the temple she was currently standing in. The throne room looked brand new, and Cassandra yanked back away from Bastet and collapsed into her brother's arms. "Wh-what the hell was that?"

"Images from our first life together."

"Y-you're lying you have to be, this has to be some kind of trick," Cassandra said ignoring the way her heart ached when she noticed the hurt flash in Bastet's eyes.

"What could I possibly gain from lying to you, and how could I have shown you these images, why are you always so stubborn," Bastet said pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation.

"Look, ma'am, my sister is done talking to you," Alex said placing himself slightly in front of her to shield her if the woman decided to get violent.

"I already said I wouldn't hurt her I was never able to cause you harm even when I found you too late and you were already with someone else," Bastet said quietly reaching out to her. Then they heard a crash from the throne room and Bastet groaned with annoyance, "Nef never could leave well enough alone," then she clapped her hands together and grinned wickedly, "Shall I go meet my new in-laws."

"NO!" The O'Connell siblings shout simultaneously.

"Why ever not they seem so very pleasant," she said grin still firmly in place.

"Please you can't; they can never know about you or this supposed connection we have," Cassandra said grabbing the woman's warm calloused hand and ignoring the small zip of fire that ran up her arm.

"Alright I won't tell them, but I want to get to know you better," she said intertwining their fingers and pulling her a little closer.

"I'm not going to let you blackmail her," Alex growled.

"That is not my intention. I simply want to know this incarnation," Bastet said staring deep into Cassandra's eyes. Cassandra was getting lost in the dark eyes of the goddess.

"I- god I want to know you too, but how?"

"I will come see you tonight at your hotel please tell me I can see you."

Now Bastet was surrounding Cassandra making the youngest O'Connell'brain foggy, as she yearned to lean into the slightly taller woman. Just a few inches and their lips would touch...

"Ahem," Alex cleared his throat breaking Cassandra's haze. She stepped away from Bastet and her head cleared. Agitation wormed its way through her system, "Am I always going to be this way when you touch me?"

"What way darling?"

"I don't know, out of control."

"No, your soul feels drawn to mine but that does fade you usually do not fight me this hard," they then hear another faint crash and a loud curse from the throne room, "but if you do not get them out of my throne room I will not be responsible for my actions."

"Deal we'll get them out I'll meet you tonight at nine please be alone I do not wish to wait," then Bastet leaned down and pressed her lips to Cassandra's forehead. Then she poofed and Cassandra stumbled a little. She felt her absence keenly and heard a small whimper escaped her lips.

"You all right old bean," Alex asked supremely worried about his baby sister.

"Y-yeah I'll be fine, let's just get our parents out of their before Bastet doesn't have a place to sleep."

-()-

A/N: I'm Sorry that it took so long to update this.


	4. Chapter 4: The First Life

A/N: Hamunaptra is not real at least not in ancient Egypt. So I put it to the south of Bubastis, which was real, so my story makes sense. I'm sorry if that doesn't jive with the movie continuity I did look at maps of Ancient egypt as well as the map from the movie so I did try. Here ya go so sorry it took forever (Also -()- means flashback in this fic).

Chapter 4: Aziza

-()-

The O'Connell siblings lounged on Cassandra's bed in the inn as they waited for the woman claiming to be Bastet. Alex still was not completely convinced. Cassandra however, mostly was. Growing up an O'Connell, and knowing reincarnation is a real thing because of her parents, her suspense of disbelief was leveled up to eleven.

They were laughing at Alex's antics from when he went on a dig in South America two years ago, she'd been invited, but had been too wrapped up in Annabell to go. They were still laughing when a gust of wind blew the window opened, and there in furious glory was Bastet. The two siblings stopped their laughter as they looked at the seething anger in the woman's eyes, "What have you ingrates done to my Egypt," she snarled reaching out as if to pounce upon them.

"Hey I thought you knew about our parents."

"I'm not talking about those ingrates, I'm talking about the English carving a country like they have a right to it," She hissed, again fighting the urge to lunge at the boy.

"Oh," Cassandra said looking down at her hands, then she looked back up at the enraged goddess, "when were you here last?" Cassandra asked.

"One hundred years ago, you're last reincarnation was a christian missionary, I took great pleasure seducing you that lifetime," She said her anger simmering and a wicked grin made its way to her face. Cassandra's face burned as she cast a sideways glance at her brother who was trying and failing not to laugh. Cassandra turned and glared at him as he guffawed.

"You were a missionary oh my god, please tell me she was a nun too."

"No she hadn't taken her orders yet. Her brother had brought her boy did he hate me. Now back to my question."

"We can't stop the English any more than we can stop the tides," Alex said.

"I should have put a bastard on the French throne when I had the chance," she muttered mostly to herself, but Cassandra's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"You were once the whore of a French king my darling," The answer was succints, and then she continues, again mostly to herself, "but no of course I couldn't do that it would have violated my deal with Anubis."

"Oi I resent being called a whore."

"Well in your defence it wasn't you really it was your soul in another body. All of your personalities have been different."

"Can you explain to me the rules of this bond or whatever it is we're supposed to have," Cassandra said becoming annoyed with only getting the story in pieces.

"I...suppose, but I want you alone," she said with a pointed glare to Alex, who rolled his eyes at the goddess.

"Fine."

"What no, not fine," Alex huffed looking at his sister in surprise..

"Alex, I can take care of myself please trust me."

The eldest O'Connell looked between his sister and this woman for a moment, then sighed, and said, "Fine, but I want the details later," before kissing her forehead and swiftly leaving with one more pointed glare at Bastet.

"FInally alone at last," Bastet said, and Cassandra saw how the woman in front of her became less tense as she sat down on the bed, her back resting against the footboard. Her hand hovered over Cassandra's leg, but then placed it in her lap. The room descended into an awkward silence.

"So are you going to explain, or are you going to stare at me all night?" Cassandra groused.

"Well my darling it's easier to explain with the images you get from touching you," she reached out again, but Cassandra moved her leg away and shook her head with a small smile.

"Nice try, let's try words this time around," her head was clearer than it had been earlier, but the constant itch that buzzed beneath her skin quieted when she arrived, and she was fighting the urge to let Bastet touch her.

"Very well dearest. The first life images you saw was during the reign of Seti I, when all that went down with Imhotep and the pharaoh."

"Why is it always Seti I I mean did nothing else happen in Egypt," Cassandra said with a mirthful smile.

"It does seem that way doesn't it. However your soul belonged to Egypt a few times, and Rome, and Greeks, and to me, always," Her smile was soft and a little sad.

Cassandra's stomach lurched, and her heart yearned to kiss the sad smile away, she ignored it, and motioned for her to continue, "Your name had been Aziza, It means respected. You were my priestess. You had been the youngest sibling of a poor family in Bubastis, Somehow you were friends with Nefertiri, who was a fan of mine. She thought you'd be better off in the care of the temple. Your parents agreed. We met when you were sixteen, I was...ancient," She had gotten lost in her memories of her; brown skin and wide eyes.

-()-

Nefertiri led the young woman by the hand into the grand temple of the Goddess Bastet, "I wish you could stay at the palace, with me but with Imhotep and Anck-Su Namun, I fear for your safety. Truth be told I wish I was staying with you, but I shall not abandon my father," she said looking at her friend with worried eyes. Aziza squeezed her friend's hand and smiled a small reassuring one of her own. Then they met with the head priestess of the temple, and began Aziza's induction. Aziza looked at the woman in a gold robe, and a Wadjet eye around her neck. With high cheekbones and a mischievous smile.

"Nefertiri I see you've brought the newest priestess."

"Oh yes Bastet, I didn't think you'd be here, this is Aziza my dear friend."

-()-

"Why were you there?" Cassandra asked looking once again at the goddess.

"I always look after the new recruits of course, but something about your soul stuck with me. So I stuck around."

"You still have that necklace," Cassandra noticed.

Bastet's fingers grazed the the metal and stone around her neck, "Yes it's for protection."

They lapsed once again into a small vaguely uncomfortable silence, until: "What happened."

"We fell in love I'd never fallen in love with a mortal before. I'd had dalliances with other gods, but never a mortal. My pantheon has more...discretion than other pantheons," She sniffed at the thoughts of other pantheons specifically the Greek and then later Roman pantheons in particular,, "We were together for about five years through all that mess with Seti and Imhotep, both fools really, Nefritiri would visit, she did not approve of our affair, and it ultimately led to your doom..."

-()-

"Nef calm down Bastet means me no harm I am probably the most protected being in Egypt."

"Az please after everything with my father you're the only thing I have that's close to family let me please place a Med-jai guard at the temple."

Aziza heaved a sigh and stared at her friend with affection, "Let me speak with Bastet first let her know who the guard is so she doesn't accidently smite them," she said with a chuckle.

"Thank you Az," the now pharaoh said pulling her friend into a tight hug. Then Bastet poofed into the chamber.

"Nefertiri, what a pleasant surprise."

"Bastet," She said with a nod Aziza rolled her eyes at the two of them, They'd been together three years and Nefritri had not budged an inch when it came to her relationship with the cat goddess, "I was telling Az that i should post a Med-jai guard here for her protection."

"Do you think I can not protect my love from an attack by a mortal?" Bastet asked placing the hand at the small of Aziza's back, the gesture was possessive and all three women knew it.

"I mean no offense Bastet but you are not with her everyday, I'd feel better if there was one more layer between her and the tip of a sword."

Bastet saw the logic behind the decision, but she still did not like it having someone else be that close to her Aziza day in and out was irritating to say the least, however, "What do you think my love?"

"Well," she glanced at her lover, and then threw a glance at her best friend, and pharaoh; both gods in their own rights, Aziza gave in to Nefertiri's pleading eyes, "Only one Nef."

"Thank you Aziza, I must return to my throne, I have a meeting with a general I shall send your guard immediately," with that she left.

Aziza turned to look at Bastet, her lips had thinned, and her brow furrowed, "Oh don't pout my goddess it was just to appease Nef, besides it would be nice to have a new friend outside of the pharaoh and the Bastet protector of the dead."

"Very well my darling not like I could have stopped Nefertiri's meddling anyway, and she does care for you, come to bed though I have missed the feeling of you in my arms," Aziza grinned at the goddess and followed her to the bed chambers of the temple.

Hours later when Aziza was sated and exhausted, Bastet, who'd been watching her lover sleep, felt someone enter the temple. She left the bed, and made sure Aziza was well covered, she got cold. She trailed her way through the winding hallway to the entrance of the temple is kept open for worshippers during all times of day, but the energy of this person seemed more...urgent. She finally reached the entrance it was a Med-jai. "You must be Nefertiri's spy?"

"I am not a spy your holiness. I am here for Aziza."

His phrasing was wrong, and Bastet's hackles rose immediately as she bit back a hiss, "What's your name mortal?"

"Yakbim ma'am."

"I see well Yakbim you shall restrict yourself to the entrance and hallway, in no way shall you disturb our bed chambers agreed."

"Yes your holiness," He nodded his head, and nodding more to herself than to him she returned to bed, to Aziza.

-()-

"He was with us for two years," Cassandra noticed that the languidness with which Bastet rested on the bed had stopped. She'd tensed in her shoulders, and her hands were clenched into fists, and Cassandra knew the next bits of the story were not going to be fun.

Cassandra looked at the woman sitting tensely against the footboard. She'd so clearly loved someone, and lost them, similarly, yet so differently, than Cassandra had Annabell. She raised her hand until it hovered over Bastet's leg; at the goddess' whisper of: "please," Cassandra lowered her hand onto the shin and gasped. It was more than just flashes this time. This time it was Aziza's whole life unfurling rapidly as her eyes fell shut. She learned everything about her soul's first life. Her personality, what made her laugh, and seethe. Cassandra saw, heard and felt everything in those final moment, and then she felt the love.

-()-

Love slammed into Cassandra so hard it stole the breath from her lungs, and her heart felt like it dropped to her stomach. Aziza had been shorter than Cassandra. As she felt the soft cotton of the sheets beneath her and all around her. She was waiting for Bastet to return from Anubis. Then she heard the door open, and sat up pulling the sheet with her as Yakbim and not her love entered the room.

"Yakbim what is the meaning of this," She demanded pulling the sheet closer to herself, she'd been wearing a long shirt, but he wasn't supposed to be in here, Bastet would be displeased, Aziza was displeased.

"I have been patient my love, waiting for you to realize there is no future with the goddess. But with me there could be a future there could be children."

Now fear curled itself into the Egyptian woman's stomach it was cold and prickly, and she reached for the dagger that she kept beneath her pillow kept it out of sight, "Yakbim I'm asking you to leave Bastet will hear of this, so shall Nefertiri, please return to the palace," she said with more courage than she felt, as betrayal began to worm its way through the surprise and fear, he'd been her friend, "Yakbim I do not wish to have children with you, if at all. Now please leave I will not ask again."

"How could you not want children, they are a blessing, you could give me strong sons that Ra would approve of."

"Ra would want you to leave me alone I belong to Bastet alone as she belongs to me."

"No you are mine," he said simply as he was talking he'd been inching towards her on the bed. Aziza had taken notice and scooted back taking the dagger with her, and considered summoning Bastet, she always said she could hear Aziza no matter where she was, especially when Yakbim reached for his sword, but kept it in it's sheath.

She rolled off the bed, and Yakbim saw her dagger, and immediately pulled his sword out, "Anubis will be unkind to you if you harm me, Bastet loves me, and Anubis is Bastet's dear friend please don't make me summon her Yakbim you were my friend for so long." The bed was in between them, and that made Aziza feel a little safer, until he started to round the bed.

"I do not care what Anubis does to me if you fear for your safety I will keep you safe from her."

"From who? Bastet? Yakbim I do not fear Bastet I fear you please stop this and leave."

"Fear me? Why? I love you."

Aziza had had enough she looked upward and yelled, "Baste-" _schlink_ Yakbim shoved his sword through Aziza's abdomen.

-()-

Cassandra yanked her hand off Bastet's leg choking on air as she felt the burn of the sword in her guts and the coppery tang of blood in her mouth. Bastet looked at her a moment not wanting to touch and cause more trauma, but aching to comfort her, as her heart ached for Cassandra, and Aziza. Soon her breathing returned to normal, and Cassandra settled back down on the pillows. Her voice was raspy and weary as she said, "what happened after that pissant stabbed me?"

"I assume you stabbed him because when I got there, too late, he was dead… as were you... with a stab wound to his chest and you're dagger covered in blood in your hand. Good riddance, four thousand some odd years and I still have hatred for that man," her cheeks were wet with tears, as she gazed out the window. The moonlight shone on her face. Her voice was thick with grief, "Then I went to Anubis. I demanded he give you back to me. Well you have Aziza's memories now you can imagine how well that went."

"He probably laughed in your face."

A snort came from Bastet, "That is exactly what he did, but he did say I owed him one, so we made a deal. He went to a god in the Hindi pantheon, and agreed to have you reincarnate every one hundred years. If and only if I" did not make too much of an impact on humanity, it had to take its natural course. Second I could never make you immortal, and I can't save you from certain death. He would make sure your soul made it to me every one hundred years, and you have, and here we are," She was looking at Cassandra now smiling faintly, "Thank you for taking the worst of it, I can touch you now without flashes. After our first meeting there is always a buildup of our memories, usually you're easier to convince. Considering your parentage I thought you'd believe immediately."

"My mom gave me a healthy dose of skepticism. As for the touching no...I will be your friend, but anything else...I had a lover her name was Annabell, she got married, to a man, and I can't do this right now."

Bastet looked at her for a moment, takes in the woman laying against the headboard. SHe looked tired, and had an air of sadness surrounding her, probably concerning this Annabell. She felt a flash of anger at this woman who had hurt Cassandra so. However Cassandra was right she was different than all her reincarnations so she took a deep breath, "Alright dearie friends we shall be I'm going to let you sleep thank you for letting me explain," she then helped Cassandra get under the covers, and as she closed her eyes and murmured a thank you a memory drifted into her mind from Aziza. It was simply her being held by Bastet and contented happiness blanketed her as well, and she felt a similar pang of longing that had not been familiar yesterday.

-()-

A/N: I know its been forever and I'm so sorry, but my mental health has been all over the place lately, and my job is draining. I hope you enjoy and please comment.


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